Nuts about nature

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-29 08:56

Here are 10 reasons why it's worth an extra 50 yuan to get in:

Wooden walkways: Kids will love the Robinson Crusoe feeling, especially the stairway that takes visitors to the upper level.

Dinosaurs: What tropical garden isn't more fun with a few velocoraptors? These replicas won't bite, but they look real enough when you turn a corner and meet one unexpectedly.

Air-conditioning, part 1: Strange but true, the plants that love heat the most have the coolest digs in the garden. (They'd roast under the glass otherwise.) That's good news for the human biological specimens inside, and a welcome respite from the midday heat.

Air-conditioning, part 2: Remember the famous poster of Marilyn Monroe, where she's walking over an air vent that puffs out her skirt? The conservatory's air vents are built into the walkways, too: Step across one and get a cool tickle in your own shorts.

Amenities: Besides the air-conditioning, there's a handy caf and sparkling clean toilets, complete with beaming pictures of the proud staff that keeps them that way.

Sculpture: The stern visage of Egypt's King Tut overlooks the desert gardens. There are also outsized carvings that evoke the Pacific Ocean, including a superb Easter Island-inspired stone head.

The fish pond: It's a lovely spot to sit down, take the load off your feet, and enjoy the natural beauty around you. (Kids will like the fish pond at the Wofu Temple even better!)

Information: The stories behind the plants elsewhere in the botanical garden are a little spotty, but there are intriguing tidbits posted in the conservatory about how food and medicine are derived from various specimens.

The lush life: Plants are the reason we come to a botanical garden, and the conservatory delivers some of the most fascinating: Colorful orchids, bromeliads and other tropical flowers; magical textures from the giant fish-tail palms to the spiky cacti in the desert room; funky little figs massed along the trunk of a long, tall ficus. It's a slice of paradise under glass.

Package deal: You can get in for less than 50 yuan with a group ticket. Or get in free if you have purchased an annual museum pass.

Cheng Anqi contributed to the story

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